from fiber to finis!

I finished my fingerless mittens!

I call them ‘Elemental Mitts’ (aka Ele-Mitts). (A woman from my knitting group came up with that and said I could use it! :) )

They are mine, all mine and I love them! My first completed project using my own handspun! :D

I still have some yarn left to make something matchy-matchy so stay tuned for that. I’m still deciding what to make.

ttfn!

illness and slow progress

I been a bit under the weather for the past two and half weeks and either didn’t feel like or couldn’t knit so progress on the mittens have been a bit slow…having only been able to start knitting again on January 14th… but I finally finished the outer shell of one mitten (minus the thumb) and finally started the 2nd one. The gauge on the first one is a bit wonky because I couldn’t figure out a comfortable way to hold the yarn. Then I got a knitting thimble for Christmas and that issue was solved. Now I comfortablely hold both yarns in my left hand and my gauge is consistent. I’m truly enjoying knitting these mittens.

Keep on knittin’! :D

more ornaments and fiddlehead progress

I made a few more ornaments and I thought you might like to see them.

Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino Dream Mottled Solids in the Skye colorway. I made two of these. (One is mine!)

The above colorway with Jawoll Superwash Sport in Navy. This one is MINE too!

Jawoll Superwash Sport in Red. Not mine! :)

Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock – Flamingo Stripe. Made for someone who loves pink.

I know someone who is a Patriots fan and I used my new-found fair isle skills to make this one for her: (All yarn used is Jawoll Superwash Sport)

And here is my progress on the Fiddlehead Mittens: (Am using Cascade 220 for the outer mittens)

Best Wishes to you for the Holiday and the New Year!

knitting mojo found / suggestions needed…

Yes! I have found my knitting mojo and have been knitting up a storm. I need to finish a pair of fingerless mittens before the end of September. I have been trying to knit a pair of these for several months, but have not been satisfied with the results.

For the first pair, I used worsted weight and that just wasn’t right, especially since these are for someone who lives in moderate climate all year long.

I’m currently on my 3rd attempt. I bought some Dream In Color Smooshy (drool) then went in search of a pattern. I bought one online that visually, I liked. I quickly discovered that the pattern was not for me. But if I hadn’t bought that pattern, it wouldn’t have led me to reworking another pattern. The thing is, the pattern that I like is for worsted weight yarn.

I did a gauge swatch. I counted my gauge several times, but I’m never sure if I’m counting correctly. Nonetheless, I figured out a stitch count but ended up reducing it by 4 stitches to make it fit the stitch pattern I came up with and I knit a prototype. I made notes as I went along and learned a lot and along the way, figured out what I want to do to make it better. Literally flying by the seat of my pant, as it were. ;)

The biggest issue is that since I took away those 4 stitches, the mitten has no ease and I’m trying to figure out how to get more ease.

Bigger needles? Didn’t like the fabric.
I could go down a needle size and add a pattern repeat, but that would mess up the pattern I created, which works best with an even number of pattern repeats.

Add one stitch per pattern repeat? Well, I think the question is where. The pattern is within a 8 x 2 rib. I tried it as a 8 x 3 rib and got an instant lesson in ribbing. (I then read an article on ‘let me explainknit’ explained why it was less stretchy). One thought I had would be to add a stitch somewhere to make it a 9 x 2 rib (I’m using 4-stitch cables so maybe I can put a knit stitch in between the cables and that might work – but I have to decide if I want to add 6 stitches or 3.) Any other suggestions? Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Reworking a pattern is SO much fun! :roll: But seriously, I’m so close to figuring this out and the results will be SO cool!

If you’ve made it this far and read my babble, I thank you!

see ya next time!!!

I love my fingerless mitts!

Remember these?

dsc04763.JPG

I made ‘em in Feb 07. The first thing I kinda made up myself. They’re very basic. The one thing I would change is that I would go down a needle size for the ribbing. I didn’t know about that then and I think that would make a difference in how they fit.

Any I wore them the other day (on a day that I ironically forget my regular gloves) and I love them. And I’m talking fingerless mitts in general. I mean they were fun to make, but I’d never really worn them ’cause they are green. I don’t like green. I don’t wear green. But it was very cold. So now I have to make some that I will really love. I’m thinking… um, blue.

I finished another Odessa and am currently choosing my next project …. methinks fingerless mitts.

knitting.gif